Reliability of hardware reset process for smart light emitting diode (LED) bulbs

ABSTRACT

A driver circuit for lighting applications that includes a power input circuit for receiving power; a light emitting diode (LED) output current circuit for interfacing with a light source; and a light emitting diode (LED) power supply circuit for controlling current to the light emitting diode (LED) output current circuit. A controller circuit is present in the circuit for signaling the light emitting power supply (LED) to control current to the light emitting diode (LED) output current circuit. The controller is reset by removing power to the controller. A smoothing capacitor is present for stabilizing at least an output voltage. The circuit further includes a current rectifying circuit that prohibits back current traveling from the smoothing capacitor to the controller circuit when the AC power is off.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application is a Continuation and claims benefit andpriority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/398,371, titled “DESIGNTO IMPROVE RELIABILITY OF HARDWARE RESET PROCESS FOR SMART LIGHTEMITTING DIODE (LED) BULBS” filed on Apr. 30, 2019, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to methods and structures thatreduce the turn off time during resetting a controller that is used tocontrol a light emitting device. The present disclosure also relates tomethods and structures that improve the reliability of the reset processfor controllers used in lighting.

BACKGROUND

Improvements in lighting technology often rely on finite light sources(e.g., light-emitting diode (LED) devices) to generate light. In manyapplications, LED devices offer superior performance to conventionallight sources (e.g., incandescent and halogen lamps). Further, lightbulbs have become smarter in recent years. People can now replacestandard incandescent bulbs with smart bulbs that can be controlledwirelessly using smart phones or tablets. However, problems have beenrecorded for resetting smart bulbs including LED light sources. Similarto a computer or a smart phone, the smart LED bulbs have a controller,and it may malfunction. But different from a computer or a smart phone,in which users can access buttons and controls to reset the controllerof a computer or smart phone, with smart LED bulbs such means forresetting a controller of a smart LED are not available. Smart LED bulbsare installed in the ceiling and within enclosures that obstruct accessto physical controls on the smart LED bulb. Hence smart LEDs can notimplement mechanical reset buttons or switches.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, the methods and structures of the present disclosureimprove reset functions for controller circuits, such as microcontrollerincluding circuits, that are used in smart lamps, such as light emittingdiode (LED) smart lamps.

In one aspect, a driver circuit for lighting applications is providedthat includes a reset timing circuit that improves the reset functionsfor controller circuits that are used in smart bulbs, such as lightemitting diode (LED) smart bulbs. In one example, the driver circuitincludes a power input circuit for receiving power, a light emittingdiode (LED) output current circuit for interfacing with a light engine,and a light emitting diode (LED) power supply circuit for controllingcurrent from the power input circuit to the light emitting diode (LED)output current circuit. The driver circuit further includes a controllercircuit including a controller for signaling the light emitting diode(LED) power supply to control current to the light emitting diode (LED)output current circuit to provide for lighting characteristics that areadjustable. The controller is reset by a sequence of removing power tothe controller. An smoothing capacitor is present in the circuit forstabilizing at least an output voltage. The circuit further includes acurrent rectifying circuit that allows forward current to travel fromthe power input circuit to the light emitting diode (LED) power supplycircuit. The current rectifying circuit also prohibits back current fromthe smoothing capacitor from traveling to the controller circuit whenthe power is turned off. By prohibiting the back current from the inputcapacitor from reaching the controller circuit, the current rectifyingcircuit eliminates residual power from powering the controller circuitonce the power is turned off. Keeping the residual power in the circuitfrom powering the controller circuit allows for more consistentresetting and/or reprogramming of the controller when the reset functionfor the controller includes toggling the power that powers the lamp fromON to OFF. In one example, the smoothing capacitor is an input capacitorthat is present in the circuit for stabilizing an input voltage circuit,and is positioned between the AC power input circuit and the lightemitting diode (LED) power supply circuit. In another example, thesmoothing capacitor is an output capacitor.

In another aspect, a lamp is provided that includes a microcontrollerfor adjusting the characteristics of light being emitted by the lamp.The microcontroller also includes a reset timing circuit that improvesthe reset functions for the microcontroller to reset the lightadjustment settings being controlled through the microcontroller. In oneembodiment, the lamp includes a light engine including light emittingdiodes (LEDs) for providing light, and a driver package. The driverpackage of the lamp can include an power input circuit, a light emittingdiode (LED) output circuit in connection with the light engine, and acontroller circuit for adjusting current to the light emitting diode(LED) output current circuit. The driver package can also include acurrent rectifying circuit that allows forward current to travel fromthe power input circuit to the light emitting diode (LED) power supplycircuit, and substantially prohibits back current from traveling to thecontroller circuit when the power is off. In some embodiments, thecontroller circuit includes a microcontroller that is reset by switchingthe power source ON and OFF without the microcontroller being powered byresidual power produced by the back current that is blocked by thecurrent rectifying circuit.

In another aspect, a method is provided for the reset functions for amicrocontroller used to control the light adjustment settings in a lamp,e.g., smart lamp, such as a light emitting diode (LED) smart lamp. Inone embodiment, the method for resetting a controller of a lightingdevice includes positioning a microcontroller in a driver package forpowering a light engine of a lamp, in which the driver package includesa smoothing capacitor and a linear current regulator to the lightengine. The instructions of the microcontroller for adjusting lightemitted by the light engine are reset by toggling the AC power source ONand OFF. The method further includes positioning a rectifying currentcircuit between the smoothing capacitor and the microcontroller. Therectifying current circuit allows forward current to travel from the ACpower source through the linear current regulator to power the lightengine when the AC power is ON. The rectifying current circuit obstructsback current from the smoothing capacitor to the microcontroller whenthe AC power source is OFF. The method further includes resetting themicrocontroller by said toggling the AC power source ON and OFF, whereinthe back current from the light engine is obstructed by the rectifyingcurrent circuit from powering the microcontroller during said resettingof the microcontroller.

In one embodiment, the driver package includes a power input circuit forinterfacing with an AC power source. The AC power input circuit includesa rectifying bridge for converting AC current into DC current. Thecurrent rectifying circuit includes a diode positioned between therectifying bridge and the input capacitor. In some embodiments, thedriver package may include a residual capacitor for storing any residualpower in the circuit. In one example, the smoothing capacitor is aninput capacitor that is present in the circuit for stabilizing an inputvoltage circuit, and is positioned between the AC power input circuitand the light emitting diode (LED) power supply circuit. The residualcapacitor has a lower capacitor than the smoothing capacitor. In anotherexample, the smoothing capacitor is an output capacitor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description will provide details of embodiments withreference to the following figures wherein:

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a reset timing circuit for a lightemitting diode (LED) smart bulb including a microcontroller, in which adiode is positioned within the circuit to allow forward current and toblock backward current, wherein by blocking backward current when thepower is removed from the circuit, the diode prohibits residue energyfrom being stored in the circuit from powering the controller duringreset operations, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of another embodiment of the reset timingcircuit of the present disclosure, in which the reset timing circuitincludes both an input and an output smoothing capacitor.

FIG. 3 is a comparative example of a reset timing circuit that does notinclude the diode for controlling current flow in the circuit duringreset operations for the microcontroller.

FIG. 4 is a plot of a waveform showing the time between when the timewhen the AC power to the light emitting diode (LED) smart bulb includingthe timing circuit depicted in FIG. 3 is turned off, and the time whenthe controller within the light emitting diode (LED) is shut down, i.e.,turned off.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a lamp including a reset timing circuit asdepicted in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” ofthe present invention, as well as other variations thereof, means that aparticular feature, structure, characteristic, and so forth described inconnection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment ofthe present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrase “in oneembodiment” or “in an embodiment”, as well any other variations,appearing in various places throughout the specification are notnecessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

In some embodiments, the methods and structures described herein arerelated to providing ways to reset the controller of a smart bulb, suchas a smart bulb that includes a light engine of light emitting diodes(LEDs). As used herein, the term “smart bulb” or “smart LED bulb”denotes a lighting device, such as a light bulb or lamp, having amicrocontroller as one of the components of the device, in which themicrocontroller effectuates at least one set of instructions forcontrolling at least one characteristic of light being emitted from thedevice. A microcontroller may be an integrated circuit (IC) designed togovern a specific operation in an embedded system. In some embodiments,the microcontroller includes a processor, memory and input/output (I/O)peripherals on a single chip. The microcontroller may sometimes bereferred to as an embedded controller or microcontroller unit (MCU).

In smart lamps, a microcontroller can be used to control functions ofthe lamp, such as lighting characteristics, e.g., light color, lightintensity, light temperature, light dimming, light flickering andcombinations thereof. The microcontroller can also be used to turn thelamps ON and OFF in response to time, and calendar date. Themicrocontroller can also be used to change lighting characteristics inresponse to commands received wirelessly, e.g., from a user interface ofa desktop computer and/or a wireless device, such as a tablet,smartphone or similar type device. The microcontroller can also changelighting characteristics in response to signal received from a sensor,such as a light sensor, motion sensor or other like sensor.

Over the operation of the smart lamp, e.g., light emitting diode (LED)smart lamp, the microcontrollers may need to be rebooted, reset and/orreprogrammed. Unlike computers, e.g., laptops, desktops and tablets, andphones, e.g., smart phones, in which users can press buttons to rebootor reset the system, smart bulbs do not include a similar physicalinterface. Further, because smart bulbs, such as smart LED bulbs, areinstalled in ceiling space and/or within an enclosure of a lightingfixture, physical controls, e.g., buttons or switches, that are affixedto the smart bulbs are obstructed from being accessed by a user who maywant to reset the microcontroller of the bulb. Therefore, smart bulbscan not implement conventional reset mechanisms. Instead, some models ofsmart bulbs, such as smart LED bulbs, are reset by switching the bulbfrom “ON” to “OFF” states of power via a hardware switch, e.g., lightswitch, in rapid succession. In this example, by removing the power forpowering the light engine in a specific sequence, the microcontroller issignaled to reset its settings.

However, switching a smart LED bulb from an “ON” power state to an “OFFpower state via a hardware switch, such as a light switch, is not thesame as turning power off the controller, e.g., microcontroller. Themethods, systems and structures that are described herein provide thatthe power to the controller, e.g., microcontroller, is turned off atsubstantially the same time as the AC power is turned off to the smartLED bulb.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in some embodiments, to provide a lightemitting diode (LED) smart bulb that allows for substantially concurrentdepowering of the controller circuit 10 a, e.g., microcontroller 11 a,with the switching of the light emitting diode (LED) smart bulb to anOFF setting, by turning off the AC power input 24 to the light emittingdiode (LED) smart bulb, a reset timing circuit 100 a, 100 b is employedthat includes a current rectifying circuit 50 that is positioned withinthe circuit 100 a, 100 b to allow only forward current through thecircuit 100 a, 100 b, and to block backward current. In someembodiments, the current rectifying circuit 50 includes a diode 51. A“diode” is a semiconductor device with two terminals, typically allowingthe flow of current in substantially one direction only. In theembodiments, by blocking backward current when the power is removed fromthe circuit, the current rectifying circuit 50, e.g., diode 51,prohibits residue energy from being stored in the circuit in a mannerthat allows for the residue energy to power the controller 11 a duringreset operations. For example, the diode 51 prohibits current from beingstored in the input stabilizing voltage circuit 80 a, e.g., the inputsmoothing capacitor 81 a for stabilizing the input voltage. A“capacitor” is a passive two-terminal electronic component that storeselectrical energy in an electric field. In some embodiments, inside thecapacitor, the terminals connect to two metal plates separated by anon-conducting substance, or dielectric. In some embodiments, themethods, structures and systems of the present disclosure also providesa residual power storage circuit 55. In some embodiments, the residualpower storage circuit 55 includes a residual power capacitor 56. Theresidual power storage circuit 55 stores the residual power that isobstructed from being stored in the stabilizing voltage circuit 80 a,e.g., the input smoothing capacitor 81 a for stabilizing the inputvoltage, by the current rectifying circuit 50, e.g., diode 51. Themethods and structures of the present disclosure are now described withgreater detail with reference to FIGS. 1-5. FIG. 3 illustrates acomparative linear power supply suitable for smart bulbs, such as lightemitting diode (LED) smart bulbs, that can power both the output lightsource 90, e.g., output light emitting diodes, and the controllercircuit 10, e.g., microcontroller 11. The comparative linear powersupply depicted in FIG. 3 does not include the current rectifyingcircuit 50 and/or the residual power storage circuit 55 that is depictedin FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to FIG. 3, the power supply, e.g., light emitting diode (LED)power supply circuit 15, for the output light source 80, is independentfrom the power supply, e.g., controller power supply circuit 20, for thecontroller circuit 10, e.g., microcontroller 11. Still referring to FIG.3, the comparative linear power supply also has an input stabilizingvoltage circuit 80, e.g., the input smoothing capacitor 81 forstabilizing the input voltage. It has been determined that in thecomparative linear power supply that is depicted in FIG. 3, when themain switch to the smart bulb, e.g., light emitting diode (LED) smartbulb, the AC power from the AC input circuit 25 is cut off from theoutput light source 90, e.g., output light emitting diodes (LEDs), thesmart bulb may cease to emit light; however, the controller circuit 10is still being powered. For example, in the comparative linear powersupply that is depicted in FIG. 3, the input stabilizing voltage circuit80, e.g., input smoothing capacitor 81, can hold some energy after theAC power from the AC input circuit 25 is cut off, wherein the energystored in the input stabilizing voltage circuit 80 can be enough topower the controller circuit 10, e.g., microcontroller, for some timedespite the AC power being cut off. Therefore, operations to reset acontroller circuit, e.g., microcontroller 11, by turning the smart lampfrom ON to OFF in succession by cutting the AC power from the AC inputcircuit 25 will fail in smart lamp designs employing the comparativelinear power supply that is depicted in FIG. 3. For example, if thecontrol circuit 10, e.g., microcontroller 11, is powered by a 3.3V DCpower, it can be normal for the control circuit 10, e.g.,microcontroller 11, to still be working until the supply voltage dropsto less than 3.6V.

The circuit 100 c depicted in FIG. 3 also includes an LED power supplycircuit 15, and a controller power supply circuit 30. The controllerpower supply circuit 30 may include a voltage regulator 31. The input ofthe controller power supply circuit 30 is from the rectifying bridge 26of the AC input 25. The output of the controller power supply circuit 30is to the controller circuit 10, in which power is communicated from thepower supply circuit 30 to the controller circuit 10 for the purposes ofpowering the controller circuit 10. The controller circuit 10, which caninclude a microcontroller 11, has a control output to the LED powersupply circuit 15. The LED power supply circuit 15 may have an output inelectrical communication with the output LED circuit 90. In thisexample, the microcontroller 11 can provide signals for controlling theLED power supply circuit 15. The microcontroller 11 can provide signalsfor controlling the power supply circuit 15 to adjust the power beingsupplied to the output LED circuit 15, in which the adjustment to thepower to the output LED circuit 15 is in accordance with the lightingcharacteristics being controlled by the microcontroller 11 though a userinterface. The user interface may connect to the microcontroller 11wirelessly.

FIG. 4 provides an example of how the control circuit 10, e.g.,microcontroller 11, can still be fed with power after the AC input 25 isturned off. FIG. 4 is a plot of a waveform showing the time between whenthe time when the AC power to the light emitting diode (LED) smart bulbincluding the timing circuit depicted in FIG. 3 is turned off, and thetime when the controller within the light emitting diode (LED) is shutdown, i.e., turned off. The red waveform shows that the AC input isturned off at the first line 12, but the controller circuit 10, e.g.,microcontroller 11, is still on until about 980 milliseconds from thetime that the AC input is turned off.

FIG. 4 illustrates that the time when the AC power is turned off doesnot mean that the controller circuit 10, e.g., microcontroller 11,looses power. In smart bulbs that rely upon quickly switching the bulbfrom ON to OFF power states via a light switch to reset the controllercircuit 10, the continued supply of power to the controller circuit 10,e.g., microcontroller 11, flowing from the residual power stored in theinput stabilizing voltage circuit 80, e.g., input smoothing capacitor81, impedes the controller circuit 10, e.g., microcontroller 11, frombeing reset. Each round of switching from “ON to OFF” and “OFF to ON”can be done in around 500 milliseconds. For time periods of that type,the residual power can not dissipate from the system, the residual poweris fed to the controller circuit 10, e.g., microcontroller 11, and thecontrol circuit 10 can not be reset.

In some embodiments, the reset timing circuit 100 a, 100 b depicted inFIGS. 1 and 2 includes a current rectifying circuit 50 that ispositioned within the circuit 100 a, 100 b to allow only forward currentthrough the circuit 100 a, 100 b, and to block backward current, so thatany residual power stored in the input stabilizing voltage circuit 80 a,e.g., input smoothing capacitor 81 a, following cutting the AC powerinput 25 can not flow to power the controller circuit 10 a, e.g.microcontroller 11 a. The reset timing circuit 100 a, 100 b alsoincludes a residual power storage circuit 55, which may include aresidual power capacitor 56, in which the residual power storage circuit55 can store the residual power so that the residual power followingcutting of the AC power input 25 can not power the control circuit 10 a,e.g., microcontroller 11 a. In some embodiments, the combination of thecurrent rectifying circuit 50, e.g., residual current obstructing diode51, and the residual power storage circuit 55, e.g., residual powercapacitor 56, in the reset timing circuits 100 a,100 b depicted in FIGS.1 and 2 reduce the time between the turn off AC power, i.e., power turnoff from the AC input circuit 25, and the controller shut down, i.e.,the depowering of the controller circuit 10 a, e.g., microcontroller 11a, when compared to the power down characteristics of the comparativeexample circuit 100 c depicted in FIG. 3.

The reset timing circuits 100 a, 100 b depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 canreduce the time between the turn OFF AC power and controller shut downwithout having an impact on the design and/or performance of the othercomponents and circuits of the reset timing circuit 100 a, 100 b. Forexample, the reset timing circuits 100 a, 100 b provide a way to reducethe reset time, and significantly improve the chance for a user tosuccessfully reset a smart lamp, without sacrificing performance, suchas output power, output lumen, depth of modulation, degree offlickering, etc. The implementations of the reset timing circuits 100 a,100 b depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be extended to any type of smartbulb driver design. The implementations of the reset timing circuits 100a, 100 b can be employed in combination with any kind of power supplythe driver has for the light emitting diode (LED).

The implementations of the reset timing circuits 100 a, 100 b can beemployed with any type of control circuit 10 a, e.g., microcontroller 11a. The control circuit 10 a depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 is similar to thecontrol circuit 10 depicted in FIG. 3. For example, the microcontroller11 a depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 can send signals to a light emittingdiode (LED) power supply circuit 15 a, in which in accordance with thesignals, e.g., commands, provided by the microcontroller 11 a the powerto the LED output circuit 90 is adjusted, which can change thecharacteristics of the light being emitted by the light source. A“microcontroller” is an integrated circuit (IC) designed to govern aspecific operation. In some embodiments, the microcontroller 11 aincludes a processor, memory and input/output (I/O) peripherals on asingle chip. In some embodiments, adjustments to the light emitted bythe lamp can be implemented with a microcontroller 11 a havinginput/output capability (e.g., inputs for receiving user inputs; outputsfor directing other components) and a number of embedded routines forcarrying out the device functionality. The microcontroller 11 a can besubstituted with any type of controller that can control the LED powersupply.

For example, the control circuit 10 a may include memory and one or moreprocessors, which may be integrated into the microcontroller 11 a. Thememory can be of any suitable type (e.g., RAM and/or ROM, or othersuitable memory) and size, and in some cases may be implemented withvolatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof. A givenprocessor of the control circuit 10 a may be configured, for example, toperform operations associated with the light engine 350 (as depicted inFIG. 5) through the LED output circuit 90. In some cases, memory may beconfigured to store media, programs, applications, and/or content on thecontrol circuit 10 a on a temporary or permanent basis. The one or moremodules stored in memory can be accessed and executed, for example, bythe one or more processors of the control circuit 10 a. In accordancewith some embodiments, a given module of memory can be implemented inany suitable standard and/or custom/proprietary programming language,such as, for example C, C++, objective C, JavaScript, and/or any othersuitable custom or proprietary instruction sets, as will be apparent inlight of this disclosure. The modules of memory can be encoded, forexample, on a machine-readable medium that, when executed by one or moreprocessors, carries out the functionality of control circuit 10 a, e.g.,microcontroller 11 a, in part or in whole. The computer-readable mediummay be implemented, for instance, with gate-level logic or anapplication-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or chip set or other suchpurpose-built logic. Some embodiments can be implemented with amicrocontroller 11 a having input/output capability (e.g., inputs forreceiving user inputs; outputs for directing other components) and anumber of embedded routines for carrying out the device functionality.The memory may include an operating system (OS). As will be appreciatedin light of this disclosure, the OS may be configured, for example, toaid with the lighting controls to provide reset functions, as well as tocontrol the characteristics of light being emitted by the light engine350 (as depicted in FIG. 5) through the LED output circuit 90.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the microcontroller 11 a can provide signalsfor adjustments in lighting characteristics emitted by the light engine350 (as depicted in FIG. 5) in accordance with the lightingcharacteristics programmed by the user of the light source. The user mayprogram the lamp, e.g., program the microcontroller 11 a of the lamp, bya user interface, such as an interface provided by a computer, desktopcomputer, laptop computer, tablet computer, smart phone, mobile deviceetc. The user interface can be in communication wirelessly to themicrocontroller 11 a.

Similar to the circuit depicted in FIG. 3, the reset timing circuits 100a, 100 b depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 also includes an LED power supplycircuit 15 a, and a controller power supply circuit 30 a. The LED powersupply circuit 15 a is controlled by the controller circuit 10 a, e.g.,microcontroller 11, and adjusts the power from the AC input circuit 25that is passed to the output LED circuit 90, e.g., circuit to lightemitting diode (LED) light source, for the purposes of adjusting thelighting characteristics of the light emitted by the lamp. The LED powersupply circuit 15 a may be a linear current regulator 16 a. A linearregulator is a system used to maintain a steady current or voltage. Forexample, the resistance of the regulator varies in accordance with theload resulting in a constant output voltage. The regulating device ismade to act like a variable resistor, continuously adjusting a voltagedivider network to maintain a constant output voltage and continuallydissipating the difference between the input and regulated voltages aswaste heat. Linear regulators may place the regulating device inparallel with the load (shunt regulator) or may place the regulatingdevice between the source and the regulated load (a series regulator).Simple linear regulators may only contain a Zener diode and a seriesresistor; more complicated regulators include separate stages of voltagereference, error amplifier and power pass element.

In one example, the linear current regulator 16 may be a dual channelPulse Width Modulation (PWM)/analog dimmable linear constant currentlight emitting diode (LED) driver. The dual channel Pulse WidthModulation (PWM)/analog dimmable linear constant current light emittingdiode (LED) driver may include a 120 mA/500V metal oxide semiconductor(MOS) device. The dual channel Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)/analogdimmable linear constant current light emitting diode (LED) driver maysupport up to 10 kHz PWM frequency. The dual channel Pulse WidthModulation (PWM)/analog dimmable linear constant current light emittingdiode (LED) driver may be available in an ESOP-8 package.

The controller power supply circuit 30 a depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 issimilar to the controller power supply circuit 30 depicted in FIG. 3.The input of the controller power supply circuit 30 a is from therectifying bridge 26 of the AC input 25. The output of the controllerpower supply circuit 30 a is to the controller circuit 10 a, in whichthat power that is communicated from the power supply circuit 30 a tothe controller circuit 10 a is for the purposes of powering thecontroller circuit 10 a. The controller circuit 10 a, which can includea microcontroller 11 a, has a control output to the LED power supplycircuit 15 a. The power supply circuit 15 a may have an output inelectrical communication with the output LED circuit 90. In thisexample, the microcontroller 11 a can provide signals for controllingthe power supply circuit 15 a. The microcontroller 11 a can providesignals for controlling the power supply circuit 15 a to adjust thepower being supplied to the output LED circuit 15 a, in which theadjustment to the power to the output LED circuit 15 a is in accordancewith the lighting characteristics being controlled by themicrocontroller 11 a.

The controller power supply circuit 30 a depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 mayinclude a voltage regulator 31 a. A voltage regulator is a systemdesigned to maintain a constant voltage level. A voltage regulator mayuse a simple feed-forward design or may include negative feedback. Itmay use an electromechanical mechanism, or electronic components. Insome embodiments, the voltage regulator 31 a may be a non-isolated buckswitch for constant output voltage applications, in which the outputvoltage can be adjusted. The programmable output voltage of thenon-isolated buck switch may support 3.0V to 3.5V without LDO. The LDOis the low-drop-out regulator. The non-isolated buck switch mayintegrate a 700V power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor(MOSFET). The non-isolated buck switch may be available in an SOP-8package. It is noted that the example provided above for the voltageregulator 31 a is provided for illustrative purposes only. In someembodiments, the power supply, e.g., voltage regulator 31 a for thecontroller power supply circuit 30 a, can be a liner power supply orswitch mode power supply.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the methods and structures of the presentdisclosure position a current rectifying circuit 50, e.g., residualcurrent obstructing diode 51, behind the bridge 26 of the AC inputcircuit 25. In some embodiments, the bridge of the AC input circuit 25is a diode bridge rectifier 26 connected to the AC power input 24.Diodes D1, D2, D3, D4 can be connected together to form a full waverectifier that convert AC voltage into DC voltage for use in powersupplies. The diode bridge rectifier 26 may include four diodes D1, D2,D3, D4 that are arranged in series pairs with only two diodes conductingcurrent during each half cycle. During the positive half cycle of thesupply, diodes D1 and D2 conduct in series while diodes D3 and D4 arereverse biased and the current flows through the load. During thenegative half cycle of the supply, diodes D3 and D4 conduct in series,but diodes D1 and D2 switch “OFF” as they are now reverse biased. It isnoted that the power source does not necessarily have to be an AC powersource. For example, the power source for the reset timing circuits 100a, 100 b may be a DC power source with minor adjustments such asremoving the rectifying components.

The current rectifying circuit 50, e.g., residual current obstructingdiode 51, is positioned between the bridge of the AC input circuit 25,and an input stabilizing voltage circuit 80 a, which can include aninput stabilizing capacitor 81 a. The input stabilizing capacitor 81 amay also be referred to as smoothing capacitor. The input stabilizingcapacitor 81 a may be employed to improve the average DC output of therectifier, e.g., rectifying bridge 26, while at the same time reducingthe AC variation of the rectified output by employing the inputstabilizing capacitor 81 a to filter the output waveform. The inputstabilizing capacitor 81 a may be an electrolytic capacitor (e-cap). Ane-cap is a polarized capacitor whose anode or positive plate is made ofa metal that forms an insulating oxide layer through anodization. Thisoxide layer acts as the dielectric of the capacitor. A solid, liquid, orgel electrolyte covers the surface of this oxide layer, serving as the(cathode) or negative plate of the capacitor. Due to their very thindielectric oxide layer and enlarged anode surface, electrolyticcapacitors have a higher capacitance-voltage (CV) product per unitvolume than ceramic capacitors or film capacitors, and so can have largecapacitance values. The electrolytic capacitor for the input stabilizingcapacitor 81 a may be provided by at least one of an aluminumelectrolytic capacitor, a tantalum electrolytic capacitor, a niobiumelectrolytic capacitor, and combinations thereof. In one example, theinput stabilizing capacitor 81 a of the input stabilizing voltagecircuit 80 a has a value ranging from 0.5 μF to 250 μF. In anotherexample, the input stabilizing capacitor 81 a of the input stabilizingvoltage circuit 80 a has a value ranging from 1 μF to 200 μF.

It is noted that the input stabilizing capacitor 81 a is not limited toonly the aforementioned examples. For example, in addition to the inputstabilizing capacitor 81 a being provided by an electrolytic capacitor(e-cap), in some examples, the input stabilizing capacitor 81 a may alsobe provided by a ceramic capacitor and/or film capacitor.

The input stabilizing capacitor 81 a of the input stabilizing voltagecircuit 80 a of the reset timing circuit 100 a 100 b that is depicted inFIGS. 1 and 2 is similar to the input stabilizing circuit 80, e.g.,input stabilizing capacitor 81, of the reset timing circuit 100 cdepicted in FIG. 3. As described above, with reference to FIG. 3, theinput stabilizing circuit 80, e.g., input stabilizing capacitor 81, canbe the source of stored power, i.e., residual energy, which in thedesign depicted in FIG. 3 can flow backward to the control circuit 10,e.g., microcontroller 11, continuing to power the control circuit 10after turning the AC power from the AC input circuit 25 off.

The current rectifying circuit 50, which may include a residual currentobstructing diode 51, that is positioned between the input stabilizingcircuit 80, e.g., input stabilizing capacitor 81, and the AC inputcircuit 25, can allow forward current that can flow through the diodeinto the system, but blocks backwards current. In the reset timingcircuit 100 a 100 b that is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the AC inputflows into the circuit, forward current is allowed to flow through thecurrent rectifying circuit 50, e.g., residual current obstructing diode51, to power the light engine 350 (as depicted in FIG. 5). For example,current flows into the light emitting diode (LED) power supply circuit15 for powering the light emitting diode (LED) output circuit 90, andthe controller power supply circuit 30 a for powering the controllercircuit 10 a. A lamp employing the reset timing circuit 100 a, 100 bdepicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 can power the lamp under normal operation whenthe power is forward biased through the current rectifying circuit 50,e.g., residual current obstructing diode 51. However, when the AC inputflow from the AC input circuit 25 is turned OFF, any residual energythat can be stored in the input stabilizing circuit 80 a, e.g., inputstabilizing capacitor 81 a, is prohibited by the current rectifyingcircuit 50, e.g., residual current obstructing diode 51, from flowingbackward to the controller power supply circuit 30. This distinguishesthe reset timing circuits 100 a, 100 b that are depicted in FIGS. 1 and2 for the circuit 100 c that is depicted in FIG. 3.

As indicated above, the reset timing circuit 100 c depicted in FIG. 3does not include the current rectifying circuit 50, e.g., residualcurrent obstructing diode 51. Therefore, in the reset timing circuit 100c depicted in FIG. 3, current backflow from the input stabilizingcircuit is not prohibited, and current backflow from the inputstabilizing circuit 80 powers the controller power supply circuit 30. Inthe reset timing circuits 100 a, 100 b depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, thecurrent rectifying circuit 50, e.g., residual current obstructing diode51, prohibits current backflow from the input stabilizing circuit 80 a,e.g., input stabilizing capacitor 81 a, from traveling to the controllerpower supply circuit 30 a. Therefore, the current rectifying circuit 50,e.g., residual current obstructing diode 51, of the reset timingcircuits 100 a, 100 b ensures that the controller power supply circuit30 a can not be supported by residual power being stored in the inputstabilizing circuit 80 a, e.g., input stabilizing capacitor 81 a,following the AC power input being cut. In the reset circuits 100 a, 100b designs depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, the delay time between the ACturn-off and controller shut down can be very short, so that the resetprocess for the control circuit 10, e.g., microcontroller 11, can beeffective and consistent.

The current rectifying circuit 50, e.g., residual current obstructingdiode 51, may be a semiconductor diode. In some embodiments, asemiconductor diode is a crystalline piece of semiconductor materialwith a p-n junction connected to two electrical terminals. Thesemiconductor diode may be composed of silicon, however other types oftype IV semiconductors may also be used, such as germanium. Thesemiconductor diode can also be composed of a type III-V semiconductormaterial, such as gallium arsenide. The residual current obstructingdiode 51 may be a surface mount type device. For example, the residualcurrent obstructing diode 51 can be of a small outline design package.Small Outline Diode (SOD) is a designation for a group of semiconductorpackages for surface mounted diodes. The standard includes multiplevariants such as SOD-123, SOD-323, SOD-523 and SOD-923. Each of theabove SOD standards are suitable for use with the residual currentobstructing diode 51.

In some embodiments, the residual current obstructing diode 51 has amaximum continuous forward current ranges from 150 mA to 250 mA. In someembodiments, the peak reverse repetitive voltage of the residual currentobstructing diode 51 may range from 150 V to 250 V.

In some embodiments, the residual current obstructing diode 51 has amaximum forward voltage drop ranging from 875 mV to 950 mV. In someembodiments, the residual current obstructing diode 51 has a peakreverse recovery time ranging from 40 ns (nanoseconds) to 60 ns(nanoseconds). In some embodiments, the residual current obstructingdiode 51 has peak reverse current ranging from 75 nA to 125 nA. In someembodiments, the maximum operating temperature for the residual currentobstructing diode 51 may range from 130° C. to 170° C. In one example,the residual current obstructing diode 51 has a maximum continuousforward current of 200 mA, a peak reverse repetitive voltage of 200 V, amaximum forward voltage drop of 925 mV, a peak reverse recovery time of50 ns, a peak reverse current of 100 nA, and a maximum operatingtemperature of 150° C. In one example, the residual current obstructingdiode 51 is a 200V 200 mA rectifying diode. It is noted that the presentdisclosure is not limited to only this example. For example, theresidual current obstructing diode 51 may be any type of diode, such asa Schottky diode, power diode, Zener diode, or any kind of like diode.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, in some embodiments, with the additionof the current rectifying circuit 50, e.g., residual current obstructingdiode 51, another input capacitor 56 is also added to the circuit, inwhich the input capacitor 56 stores residual power in the circuitfollowing the AC power to the circuit being turned off. The additionalinput capacitor 56 that is added to the circuit may be referred to as aresidual power storing capacitor 56. In some embodiments, the residualpower storing capacitor 56 is a component of a residual power storingcircuit 55. The residual power storing circuit 55, e.g., residual powerstoring capacitor 56, is present between the current rectifying circuit50, e.g., residual current obstructing diode 51, and the controllerpower supply circuit 30, e.g., voltage regulator 31. In someembodiments, the residual power storing capacitor 56 has a lessercapacitance than the input stabilizing capacitor 81 a of the inputstabilizing voltage circuit 80 a. For example, the residual powerstoring capacitor 56 can have a value ranging from 0.075 μF to 150 μF.In another example, the residual power storing capacitor 56 can have avalue ranging from 0.1 μF to 100 μF. In some embodiments, the residualpower storing capacitor 56 may be provided by an electrolytic capacitor(e-cap), such as an aluminum electrolytic capacitor, a tantalumelectrolytic capacitor, a niobium electrolytic capacitor, andcombinations thereof. It is noted that the residual power storingcapacitor 56 is not limited to only the aforementioned examples. Forexample, in addition to the residual power storing capacitor 56 beingprovided by an electrolytic capacitor (e-cap), in some examples, theresidual power storing capacitor 56 may also be provided by a ceramiccapacitor and/or film capacitor. In some embodiments, the residual powerstoring capacitor 56 is connected in parallel to the AC input circuit25.

In some embodiments, in the reset timing circuits 100 a, 100 b that aredepicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the AC power is turned off, thecontroller circuit 10, e.g., microcontroller 11, can only be supportedby the residual power that is being stored in the residual power storingcapacitor 56. The small capacitance of the residual power storingcapacitor 56, the delay time between the AC turn-off, and the controllershut down can be very short, so that the recess process of themicrocontroller 11 can be effective and predictable. The maximumcapacitance value of the residual power storing capacitor 56 can have amaximum capacitance of 150 μF. In some examples, the maximum capacitancevalue of the residual power storing capacitor 56 can have a maximumcapacitance of 1 mF. In some examples, the delay time between the ACturn-off, and the controller shut down, can range from 1 millisecond to5 seconds.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a reset timing circuit 100 a for a linearpower supply for light emitting diode (LED) smart bulbs including amicrocontroller 11, in which a diode 51 is positioned within the circuitto allow forward current and to block backward current, wherein byblocking current when the power is removed from the circuit, the diode51 prohibits residue energy from being stored in the circuit in a mannerthat allows for the residue energy to power the microcontroller 11during reset operations. The circuit 100 a depicted in FIG. 1 includes aresidual power storage circuit 55 that may include a residual powercapacitor 56, and an input stabilizing voltage circuit 80 a, which mayinclude an input smoothing capacitor 81 a. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram100 b of another embodiment of the reset timing circuit 100 b, in whichthe reset timing circuit 100 b includes both an input smoothingcapacitor 81 a and an output smoothing capacitor 82. With the exceptionof the output smoothing capacitor 82, the reset timing circuit 100 bdepicted in FIG. 2 is similar to the reset timing circuit 100 a that isdepicted in FIG. 1. Therefore, the description of the elements havingreference numbers depicted in FIG. 1 is suitable for the description ofthe elements of the circuit diagram having the same reference numbers inFIG. 2. The output smoothing capacitor 82 depicted in FIG. 2 may beprovided by at least one of an aluminum electrolytic capacitor, atantalum electrolytic capacitor, a niobium electrolytic capacitor, andcombinations thereof. In one example, the output capacitor 82 has avalue ranging from 0.5 μF to 250 μF. In another example, the outputsmoothing capacitor 82 has a value ranging from 1 μF to 200 μF.

The reset timing circuit 100 a, 100 b may be integrated into the driverelectronics 250 (also referred to as driver package) of a lamp 500employing a light engine 350 including a solid state light source, suchas light emitting diodes (LEDs), as depicted FIG. 5. For example, thedriver electronics 250, e.g., lighting circuit, is a circuit for causingthe light emitting diodes (LEDs) of the light engine 350 to emit lightand is housed in the base housing 200. More specifically, the driverelectronics 250, e.g., lighting circuit, includes a plurality of circuitelements, and a circuit board on which each of the circuit elements ismounted. In this embodiment, the driver electronics 250, e.g., lightingcircuit, converts the AC power received from the base 150 of the basehousing 200 to the DC power, and supplies the DC power to the LEDs ofthe light engine 350. The reset timing circuit 100 a, 100 b may be atleast one component of the driver electronics 250.

Referring to FIG. 5, the driver electronics 250 may include acommunications module 251 for providing wireless communication from auser interface for receipt of programmed light characteristic settingsreceived from the user. The communication module 251 may be configuredfor wired (e.g., Universal Serial Bus or USB, Ethernet, FireWire, etc.)and/or wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.) communication using anysuitable wired and/or wireless transmission technologies (e.g., radiofrequency, or RF, transmission; infrared, or IR, light modulation;etc.), as desired. In some embodiments, the communication module 251 maybe configured for communication by cellular signal used in cellularphones, and cellular type devices. In some embodiments, communicationmodule 251 may be configured to communicate locally and/or remotelyutilizing any of a wide range of wired and/or wireless communicationsprotocols, including, for example: (1) a digital multiplexer (DMX)interface protocol; (2) a Wi-Fi protocol; (3) a Bluetooth protocol; (4)a digital addressable lighting interface (DALI) protocol; (5) a ZigBeeprotocol; (6) a near field communication (NFC) protocol; (7) a localarea network (LAN)-based communication protocol; (8) a cellular-basedcommunication protocol; (9) an Internet-based communication protocol;(10) a satellite-based communication protocol; and/or (11) a combinationof any one or more thereof. It should be noted, however, that thepresent disclosure is not so limited to only these examplecommunications protocols, as in a more general sense, and in accordancewith some embodiments, any suitable communications protocol, wiredand/or wireless, standard and/or custom/proprietary, may be utilized bycommunication module 251, as desired for a given target application orend-use.

The driver electronics 250 including the reset timing circuit 100 a, 100b may be housed within a base housing 200 that is composed of a resinmaterial. The base housing 200 can be provided at the opening of theglobe 400. More specifically, the base housing 200 is attached to theglobe 400 using an adhesive such as cement to cover the opening of theglobe 400. The base 150 is connected to the end of the base housing 200that is opposite the end of the base housing 200 that is closest to theglobe 400. In the embodiment that is depicted in FIG. 5, the base 150 isan E26 base. The light bulb shaped lamp 500 can be attached to a socketfor E26 base connected to the commercial AC power source for use. Notethat, the base 150 does not have to be an E26 base, and maybe a base ofother size, such as E17. In addition, the base 150 does not have to be ascrew base and may be a base in a different shape such as a plug-inbase.

Referring to FIG. 5, the lamp 500 employs light engine 350 includingsolid state light emitters, e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs) 351, toprovide the light illumination. The term “solid state” refers to lightemitted by solid-state electroluminescence, as opposed to incandescentbulbs (which use thermal radiation) or fluorescent tubes. Compared toincandescent lighting, solid state lighting creates visible light withreduced heat generation and less energy dissipation. Some examples ofsolid state light emitters that are suitable for the methods andstructures described herein include semiconductor light-emitting diodes(LEDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), polymer light-emittingdiodes (PLED) or combinations thereof. Although the followingdescription describes an embodiment in which the solid state lightemitters are provided by light emitting diodes, any of theaforementioned solid state light emitters may be substituted for theLEDs.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5, the light source for the lightengine is provided by light emitting diodes (LEDs) 351. In a broadsense, a light emitting diode (LED) 351 is a semiconductor device thatemits visible light when an electric current passes through it. Someexamples of solid state light emitters that are suitable for the methodsand structures described herein include inorganic semiconductorlight-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic semiconductor light-emittingdiodes (OLEDs), surface mount light emitting diodes (SMT LEDs), polymerlight-emitting diodes (PLED), filament type light-emitting diodes (LEDs)or combinations thereof. The LEDs 351 can be mounted to a panel, alsoreferred to as a substrate, in which the LEDs may include severalsurface mount device (SMD) light emitting diodes (LEDs). In one example,a LED bulb, as depicted in FIG. 5, can contain a single LED 351 toarrays of 5 to 10 LEDs 351. The light engine 350 may include lightemitting diodes (LEDs) 351 engaged to a circuit board includingsubstrate. The LEDs 351 can be mounted to the circuit board by solder, asnap-fit connection, or other engagement mechanisms. In some examples,the LEDs 351 are provided by a plurality of surface mount discharge(SMD) light emitting diodes (LED). The circuit board may be a printedcircuit board (PCB) the mechanically supports and electrically connectselectronic components, such as the LEDs 351, using conductive tracks,pads and other features etched from copper sheets laminated onto anon-conductive substrate. The printed circuit board is typicallycomposed of a dielectric material. For example, the circuit board may becomposed of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) (also called fiber-reinforcedpolymer, or fiber-reinforced plastic) is a composite material made of apolymer matrix reinforced with fibers. The fibers are usually glass,carbon, aramid, or basalt. The polymer is usually an epoxy, vinylester,or polyester thermosetting plastic, though phenol formaldehyde resinsare still in use. In some embodiments, the printed circuit board (PCB)is composed of a composite consistent with the above description that iscalled FR-4. The printed circuit board may be made in one piece or inlongitudinal sections joined by electrical bridge connectors. In somecases, circuit board may further include other componentry, such as, forexample, resistors, transistors, capacitors, integrated circuits (ICs),and power and control connections for a given LED, i.e., solid statelight emitter, to name a few examples.

In some embodiments, the light engine 350 may include LEDs that are partof an LED filament structure. The LED filament structure may include asubstrate and a plurality of series connected light emitting diodes(LEDs) that are present on the substrate that extending from a cathodecontact portion of the LED filaments structure to an anode contactportion of the LED filament structure. The series connected lightemitting diodes (LEDs) of the LED filament structure can be covered witha phosphorus coating. In some embodiments, each of the light emittingdiode (LED) filament structures includes LED's arranged in rows on smallstrips. In one example, the number of LEDs arranged on the substrate ofthe light emitting diode (LED) filaments structure can range from 10LEDs to 50 LEDs. In some embodiments, the LED filament structure iscomposed of a metal strip with series of LEDs aligned along it. Atransparent substrate, usually made from glass, e.g., silicon (Si)and/or silicon oxide (SiO₂), or sapphire, e.g., aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃),materials are used to cover the LED's. This transparency allows theemitted light to disperse evenly and uniformly without any interferenceor light loss. The LEDs may be referred to as chip on board (COB) and/orchip on glass (COG). In one example, the LED's on the filament stripemit a blue colored light. For example, the blue light emitted by theLEDs on the filament strip of the LED filaments may have wavelengthsranging from approximately 490 nm to 450 nm. To provide “white light” acoating of phosphor in a silicone resin binder material is placed overthe LEDs and glass to convert the blue light generated by the LEDs ofthe LED filament structure. White light is not a color, but acombination of all colors, hence white light contains all wavelengthsfrom about 390 nm to 700 nm. Different phosphor colors can be used tochange the color of the light being emitted by the LEDs. For example,the more yellow the phosphor, the more yellow and warm the lightbecomes. Each of the light emitting diode (LED) filament structures mayhave a length on the order of 4″ and a width on the order of ⅛″. In someembodiments, the light source 350 can emit white light having a colortemperature ranging from 2700K to 6500K. In one example, the white lightemitted by the LEDs 351 may be referred to a “day white” with atemperature ranging from 3800K to 4200K. In another example, the whitelight emitted by the light emitting diode (LED) filament structures 50a, 50 b may have a warm white light with a temperature ranging fromaround 2600K to 3000K. It is noted that the above examples are providedfor illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the presentdisclosure.

The LEDs 351 of the light engine 350 of the lamp 500 may be selected oradjusted by the control circuit 10 a to emit a specific color. The term“color” denotes a phenomenon of light or visual perception that canenable one to differentiate objects. Color may describe an aspect of theappearance of objects and light sources in terms of hue, brightness, andsaturation. Some examples of colors that may be suitable for use withthe method of controlling lighting in accordance with the methods,structures and computer program products described herein can includered (R), orange (O), yellow (Y), green (G), blue (B), indigo (I), violet(V) and combinations thereof, as well as the numerous shades of theaforementioned families of colors. The LEDs 351 of the light engine 350of the lamp 500 may be selected or adjusted by the control circuit 10 ato emit a specific color temperature. The “color temperature” of a lightsource is the temperature of an ideal black-body radiator that radiateslight of a color comparable to that of the light source. Colortemperature is a characteristic of visible light that has applicationsin lighting, photography, videography, publishing, manufacturing,astrophysics, horticulture, and other fields. Color temperature ismeaningful for light sources that do in fact correspond somewhat closelyto the radiation of some black body, i.e., those on a line fromreddish/orange via yellow and more or less white to blueish white. Colortemperature is conventionally expressed in kelvins, using the symbol K,a unit of measure for absolute temperature. Color temperatures over 5000K are called “cool colors” (bluish white), while lower colortemperatures (2700-3000 K) are called “warm colors” (yellowish whitethrough red). “Warm” in this context is an analogy to radiated heat fluxof traditional incandescent lighting rather than temperature. Thespectral peak of warm-colored light is closer to infrared, and mostnatural warm-colored light sources emit significant infrared radiation.The LEDs of the lamp 500 provided herein may emit light having theaforementioned examples of color temperatures. In some examples, theLEDs 351 of the light engine 350 of the lamp 500 are capable ofadjusting the “color temperature” of the light they emit.

The LEDs 351 of the light engine 350 of the lamp 500 may be selected oradjusted by the control circuit 10 a to emit a specific light intensity.In some examples, dimming or light intensity may be measured using lux.In some embodiments, the LEDs of the light engine 75 can providelighting having an intensity between 100 lux to 1000 lux. For example,lighting 350 office work may be comfortably done at a value between 250lux to 500 lux. For greater intensity applications, such as work areasthat involve drawing or other detail work, the intensity of the lampscan be illuminated to a range within 750 lux to 1,000 lux. In someembodiments, the LEDs of the light engine 350 of the lamp 500 arecapable being adjusted to adjust the light intensity/dimming of thelight they emit.

The light engine 350 is positioned underlying the globe 400 of the lamp500. In some embodiments, the globe 400 is a hollow translucentcomponent, houses the light engine 350 inside, and transmits the lightfrom the light engine 350 to outside of the lamp 500. In someembodiments, the globe 400 is a hollow glass bulb made of silica glasstransparent to visible light. The globe 400 can have a shape with oneend closed in a spherical shape, and the other end having an opening. Insome embodiments, the shape of the globe 400 is that a part of hollowsphere is narrowed down while extending away from the center of thesphere, and the opening is formed at a part away from the center of thesphere. In the embodiment that is depicted in FIG. 5, the shape of theglobe 400 is Type A (JIS C7710) which is the same as a commonincandescent light bulb. It is noted that this geometry is provided forillustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the presentdisclosure. For example, the shape of the globe 400 may also be Type G,Type BR, or others. The portion of the globe 400 opposite the openingmay be referred to as the “dome portion of the optic”.

Referring to FIG. 5, the lamp 500 can optionally include a heatsinkportion 300 configured to be in thermal communication with light engine350 to facilitate heat dissipation for the lamp 500. To that end,optional heatsink portion 300 may be of monolithic or polylithicconstruction and formed, in part or in whole, from any suitablethermally conductive material. For instance, optional heatsink portion300 may be formed from any one, or combination, of aluminum (Al), copper(Cu), gold (Au), brass, steel, or a composite or polymer (e.g.,ceramics, plastics, and so forth) doped with thermally conductivematerial(s). The geometry and dimensions of optional heatsink portion300 may be customized, as desired for a given target application orend-use. In some instances, a thermal interfacing layer 301 (e.g., athermally conductive tape or other medium) optionally may be disposedbetween heatsink portion 300 and light engine 350 to facilitate thermalcommunication there between. Other suitable configurations for optionalheatsink portion 300 and optional thermal interfacing layer 301 willdepend on a given application.

It is noted that the structure and lamp systems of the presentdisclosure are not limited to only the form factor for the lamp 500 thatis depicted in FIG. 5. As will be appreciated in light of thisdisclosure, the lamp as variously described herein may also beconfigured to have a form factor that is compatible with powersockets/enclosures typically used in existing luminaire structures. Forexample, some embodiments may be of a PAR20, PAR30, PAR38, or otherparabolic aluminized reflector (PAR) configuration. Some embodiments maybe of a BR30, BR40, or other bulged reflector (BR) configuration. Someembodiments may be of an A19, A21, or other A-line configuration. Someembodiments may be of a T5, T8, or other tube configuration.

In another aspect, a method is provided for the reset functions for amicrocontroller 10 a, used control the light adjustment settings in alamp 500, e.g., smart lamp, such as a light emitting diode (LED) smartlamp. In one embodiment, the method for resetting a controller, e.g.,microcontroller 10 a, of a lighting device includes positioning amicrocontroller 10 a in a driver package 250 for powering a light engine350 of a lamp, in which the driver package 250 includes an inputsmoothing capacitor 81 a between an interface to an AC power source 25and a linear current regulator 16 to the light engine 350. Theinstructions of the microcontroller 10 a for adjusting light emitted bythe light engine 350 are reset by toggling the AC power source ON andOFF. The method further includes positioning a rectifying currentcircuit 50 between the input smoothing capacitor 81 a and themicrocontroller 11 a. The rectifying current circuit 50 allows forwardcurrent to travel from the AC power source through the linear currentregulator 16 to power the light engine 350 when the AC power is ON. Therectifying current circuit 50 obstructs back current from the inputsmoothing capacitor 81 a to the microcontroller 11 a when the AC powersource is OFF. For the method of resetting the microcontroller 11 a, theentirety of the reset timing circuit 100 a, 100 b that is describedabove with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 may be integrated into the driverpackage 250. The method further includes resetting the microcontroller11 a by toggling the AC power source ON and OFF, wherein the backcurrent from the input smoothing capacitor 81 a is obstructed by therectifying current circuit 50 from powering the microcontroller 11 aduring resetting of the microcontroller 11 a. It is noted that thereset/reprogram process for the microcontroller 11 a can be any patternof switch ON-OFF operations. For example, the number of toggles in a settime period, e.g., time interval, for the ON-OFF switch operation thatwould reset the microcontroller may be any number of toggles, for anytime period, and in any pattern. All that is required is that thepattern, time and number of toggles be associated with a reset/reprogramaction recognized by the microcontroller 11 a. It is to be appreciatedthat the use of any of the following “/”, “and/or”, and “at least oneof”, for example, in the cases of “A/B”, “A and/or B” and “at least oneof A and B”, is intended to encompass the selection of the first listedoption (A) only, or the selection of the second listed option (B) only,or the selection of both options (A and B). As a further example, in thecases of “A, B, and/or C” and “at least one of A, B, and C”, suchphrasing is intended to encompass the selection of the first listedoption (A) only, or the selection of the second listed option (B) only,or the selection of the third listed option (C) only, or the selectionof the first and the second listed options (A and B) only, or theselection of the first and third listed options (A and C) only, or theselection of the second and third listed options (B and C) only, or theselection of all three options (A and B and C). This may be extended, asreadily apparent by one of ordinary skill in this and related arts, foras many items listed.

Spatially relative terms, such as “forward”, “back”, “left”, “right”,“clockwise”, “counter clockwise”, “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,”“upper,” and the like, can be used herein for ease of description todescribe one element's or feature's relationship to another element(s)or feature(s) as illustrated in the FIGs. It will be understood that thespatially relative terms are intended to encompass differentorientations of the device in use or operation in addition to theorientation depicted in the FIGs.

Having described preferred embodiments of a DESIGN TO IMPROVERELIABILITY OF HARDWARE RESET PROCESS FOR SMART LIGHT EMITTING DIODE(LED) BULBS, it is noted that modifications and variations can be madeby persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It istherefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particularembodiments disclosed which are within the scope of the invention asoutlined by the appended claims. Having thus described aspects of theinvention, with the details and particularity required by the patentlaws, what is claimed and desired protected by Letters Patent is setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A driver circuit comprising for lightingcomprising: a power supply circuit for powering a light engine usingpower received from an power input circuit, the power supply circuitincludes a smoothing capacitor; a controller for signaling the powersupply circuit to control current to the light engine; and a controllerreset circuit for resetting the controller, wherein the controller resetcircuit resets the controller by removing power to the controller, thecontroller reset circuit including an electrical passage including a twoterminal semiconductor device that restricts current flow in a singledirection that is in direct contact with the smoothing capacitor, thetwo terminal semiconductor device is between the smoothing capacitor andthe controller and restricts said current flow to said single directionso that back current from the smoothing capacitor can not power thecontroller.
 2. The driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the electricalpassage between the smoothing capacitor and the controller thatrestricts the current flow to the single direction is a diode.
 3. Thedriver circuit of claim 2, wherein the diode is selected from the groupconsisting of a power diode, schottky diode, zener diode andcombinations thereof.
 4. The driver circuit of claim 2, wherein thediode by restricting said current flow is prohibiting back current fromproviding residual power to powering the controller once the power isturned off by the controller reset circuit.
 5. The driver circuit ofclaim 1, wherein the light engine includes at least one light emittingdiode (LED).
 6. The driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the controller isa microcontroller.
 7. The driver circuit of claim 6, wherein thecontroller adjusts dimming performance of the light engine.
 8. Thedriver circuit of claim 1 further comprising a residual capacitorpositioned between the smoothing circuit and the controller circuit. 9.The driver circuit of claim 8, wherein the capacitance of the smoothingcapacitor is greater than the capacitance of the residual capacitor. 10.The driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the smoothing capacitor may be aninput capacitor or an output capacitor or a combination thereof.
 11. Thedriver circuit of claim 1, wherein the power input circuit converts ACcurrent into DC current.
 12. A lamp comprising: a light engine includinglight emitting diodes (LEDs) for providing light; and a driver packageincluding a power supply circuit that includes a smoothing capacitor; acontroller for signaling the power supply circuit to control current tothe light engine; and a controller reset circuit for resetting thecontroller, wherein the controller reset circuit resets the controllerby removing power to the controller, the controller reset circuitincluding an electrical passage including a two terminal semiconductordevice that restricts current flow in a single direction that is indirect contact with the smoothing capacitor, the two terminalsemiconductor device is between the smoothing capacitor and thecontroller and restricts said current flow to said single direction sothat back current from the smoothing capacitor can not power thecontroller.
 13. The lamp of claim 12, wherein the electrical passagebetween the smoothing capacitor and the controller that restricts thecurrent flow to the single direction is a diode.
 14. The lamp of claim13, wherein the diode is selected from the group consisting of a powerdiode, schottky diode, zener diode and combinations thereof.
 15. Thelamp of claim 13, wherein the diode by restricting said current flow isprohibiting back current from providing residual power to powering thecontroller once the power is turned off by the controller reset circuit.16. The lamp of claim 12, wherein the light engine includes at least onelight emitting diode (LED).
 17. The lamp of claim 12, wherein thecontroller is a microcontroller.
 18. The lamp of claim 17, wherein thecontroller adjusts dimming performance of the light engine.
 19. A methodof resetting a controller of a lighting device comprising: positioning acontroller in a driver package for powering a light engine of a lamp,the driver package includes a smoothing capacitor, wherein instructionsof the controller for adjusting light emitted by the light engine arereset by toggling a power source ON and OFF; positioning a rectifyingcurrent circuit in direct contact with the smoothing capacitor, andbetween the smoothing capacitor and the microcontroller, the rectifyingcurrent circuit allowing forward current to power the light engine whenthe power source is ON, the rectifying current circuit obstructing backcurrent from the smoothing capacitor to the microcontroller when thepower source is OFF; and resetting the controller by said toggling thepower source ON and OFF, wherein the back current from the smoothingcapacitor is obstructed by the rectifying current circuit from poweringthe microcontroller during said resetting of the microcontroller. 20.The method of claim 19, wherein the light engine includes at least onelight emitting diode (LED).